Chemical reactors with annularly positioned delivery and removal devices, and associated systems and methods

ABSTRACT

Chemical reactors with annularly positioned delivery and removal devices, and associated systems and methods. A reactor in accordance with a particular embodiment includes a reactor vessel having a light-transmissible surface proximate to a reaction zone, and a movable reactant delivery system positioned within the reactor vessel. The reactor can further include a product removal system positioned within the reactor vessel and positioned annularly inwardly or outwardly from the delivery system. A solar concentrator is positioned to direct solar radiation through the light-transmissible surface to the reaction zone.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application No.13/026,990 filed Feb. 14, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,187,549 issued May24, 2012 and titled CHEMICAL REACTORS WITH ANNULARLY POSITIONED DELIVERYAND REMOVEAL DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS, whichapplication claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 61/304,403, filed on Feb. 13, 2010 and titled FULLSPECTRUM ENERGY AND RESOURCE INDEPENDENCE, which is incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety. To the extent the foregoing applicationand/or any other materials incorporated herein by reference conflictwith the disclosure presented herein, the disclosure herein controls.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present technology relates generally to chemical reactors withannularly positioned reactant delivery devices and product removaldevices, and associated systems and methods. In particular embodiments,reactor systems with these devices can be used to produce clean-burning,hydrogen-based fuels from a wide variety of feedstocks with enhancedenergy efficiency, and can produce structural building blocks fromcarbon and/or other elements that are released when forming thehydrogen-based fuels.

BACKGROUND

Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, wave, falling water, andbiomass-based sources have tremendous potential as significant energysources, but currently suffer from a variety of problems that prohibitwidespread adoption. For example, using renewable energy sources in theproduction of electricity is dependent on the availability of thesources, which can be intermittent. Solar energy is limited by the sun'savailability (i.e., daytime only), wind energy is limited by thevariability of wind, falling water energy is limited by droughts, andbiomass energy is limited by seasonal variances, among other things. Asa result of these and other factors, much of the energy from renewablesources, captured or not captured, tends to be wasted.

The foregoing inefficiencies associated with capturing and saving energylimit the growth of renewable energy sources into viable energyproviders for many regions of the world, because they often lead to highcosts of producing energy. Thus, the world continues to rely on oil andother fossil fuels as major energy sources because, at least in part,government subsidies and other programs supporting technologydevelopments associated with fossil fuels make it deceptively convenientand seemingly inexpensive to use such fuels. At the same time, thereplacement cost for the expended resources, and the costs ofenvironment degradation, health impacts, and other by-products of fossilfuel use are not included in the purchase price of the energy resultingfrom these fuels.

In light of the foregoing and other drawbacks currently associated withsustainably producing renewable resources, there remains a need forimproving the efficiencies and commercial viabilities of producingproducts and fuels with such resources.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partially schematic illustration of a system having a solarconcentrator that directs heat to a reactor vessel in accordance with anembodiment of the disclosed technology.

FIG. 2 is a partially schematic, enlarged illustration of a portion of areactor vessel, including additional features for controlling thedelivery of solar energy to the reaction zone in accordance with anembodiment of the disclosed technology.

FIG. 3 is a partially schematic, cross-sectional illustration of anembodiment of a reactor vessel having annularly positioned productremoval and reactant delivery systems in accordance with an embodimentof the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a partially schematic, cross-sectional illustration of areactant delivery system having radially tapered screw threads inaccordance with an embodiment of the disclosed technology.

FIG. 5 is a partially schematic, cross-sectional illustration of areactor vessel having a reactant delivery system with screw threadchannels that narrow in an axial direction in accordance with anembodiment of the disclosed technology.

FIG. 6 is a partially schematic, cross-sectional illustration of areactor vessel having a reactant delivery system that includes anannularly positioned piston within a cylinder having tapered walls, inaccordance with yet another embodiment of the disclosed technology.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

1. Overview

Several examples of devices, systems and methods for handling reactantsand products in a chemical reactor are described below. In particularembodiments, these devices can improve the efficiency with whichreactants are compacted and heated so as to improve the overallefficiency of the reaction. Reactors that include these devices can beused to produce hydrogen fuels and/or other useful end products frombiomass and/or other waste streams. Accordingly, the reactors canproduce clean-burning fuel and can re-purpose carbon and/or otherconstituents for use in durable goods, including polymers and carboncomposites. Although the following description provides many specificdetails of the following examples in a manner sufficient to enable aperson skilled in the relevant art to practice, make and use them,several of the details and advantages described below may not benecessary to practice certain examples of the technology. Additionally,the technology may include other examples that are within the scope ofthe claims but are not described here in detail.

References throughout this specification to “one example,” “an example,”“one embodiment” or “an embodiment” mean that a particular feature,structure, process or characteristic described in connection with theexample is included in at least one example of the present technology.Thus, the occurrences of the phrases “in one example,” “in an example,”“one embodiment” or “an embodiment” in various places throughout thisspecification are not necessarily all referring to the same example.Furthermore, the particular features, structures, routines, steps orcharacteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or moreexamples of the technology. The headings provided herein are forconvenience only and are not intended to limit or interpret the scope ormeaning of the claimed technology.

Certain embodiments of the technology described below may take the formof computer-executable instructions, including routines executed by aprogrammable computer or controller. Those skilled in the relevant artwill appreciate that the technology can be practiced on computer orcontroller systems other than those shown and described below. Thetechnology can be embodied in a special-purpose computer, controller, ordata processor that is specifically programmed, configured orconstructed to perform one or more of the computer-executableinstructions described below. Accordingly, the terms “computer” and“controller” as generally used herein refer to any data processor andcan include internet appliances, hand-held devices, multi-processorsystems, programmable consumer electronics, network computers,mini-computers, and the like. The technology can also be practiced indistributed environments where tasks or modules are performed by remoteprocessing devices that are linked through a communications network.Aspects of the technology described below may be stored or distributedon computer-readable media, including magnetic or optically readable orremovable computer discs as well as media distributed electronicallyover networks. In particular embodiments, data structures andtransmissions of data particular to aspects of the technology are alsoencompassed within the scope of the present technology. The presenttechnology encompasses both methods of programming computer-readablemedia to perform particular steps, as well as executing the steps.

A chemical reactor in accordance with a particular embodiment includes areactor vessel having a light-transmissible surface proximate to areaction zone. The reactor can further include a movable reactantdelivery system positioned within the reactor vessel, and a productremoval system positioned within the vessel and positioned annularlyinwardly or outwardly from the delivery system. The solar concentratoris positioned to direct solar radiation through the light-transmissiblesurface to the reaction zone. The annular relationship between thereactant delivery system and product withdrawal system can enhance heattransfer between outgoing products and incoming reactants, and canfacilitate compressing the incoming reactants prior to entering thereactor.

A method in accordance with a particular embodiment of the technologyincludes concentrating solar radiation and directing the concentratedsolar radiation through a light-transmissive surface of a reactionvessel and to a reaction zone within the reaction vessel. A reactantdelivery system is actuated to direct a reactant to the reaction zone.The method can further include performing an endothermic reaction at thereaction zone to produce a product, and actuating a product removalsystem position annularly inwardly or outwardly from the reactantdelivery system to remove a product from the reaction zone.

2. Representative Reactors and Associated Methodologies

FIG. 1 is a partially schematic illustration of a system 100 including areactor vessel 110 having a reaction zone 111. The system 100 furtherincludes a solar collector 101 that directs solar energy 103 to thereaction zone 111. The solar collector 103 can include a dish, trough,heliostat arrangement, fresnel lens and/or other radiation-focusingelement. The reactor vessel 110 and the solar collector 101 can bemounted to a pedestal 102 that allows the solar collector 101 to rotateabout at least two orthogonal axes in order to continue efficientlyfocusing the solar energy 103 as the earth rotates. The system 100 canfurther include multiple reactant/product vessels 170, including firstand second reactant vessels 170 a, 170 b, and first and second productvessels, 170 c, 170 d. In particular embodiments, the first reactantvessel 170 a can provide a reactant that contains hydrogen and carbon,such as methane, which is processed at the reaction zone 111 in anendothermic reaction to produce hydrogen and carbon which is provided tothe first and second product vessels 170 c, 170 d, respectively. Inother embodiments, other reactants, for example, municipal solid wastestreams, biomass reactants, and/or other waste streams can be providedat a hopper 171 forming a portion of the second reactant vessel 170 b.In any of these embodiments, an internal reactant delivery system andproduct removal system provide the reactants to the reaction zone 111and remove the products from the reaction zone 111, as will be describedin further detail later with reference to FIGS. 3-6.

The system 100 can further include a supplemental heat source 180 thatprovides heat to the reaction zone 111 when the available solar energy103 is insufficient to sustain the endothermic reaction at the reactionzone 111. In a particular embodiment, the supplemental heat source 180can include an inductive heater 181 that is positioned away from thereaction zone 111 during the day to allow the concentrated solar energy103 to enter the reaction zone 111, and can slide over the reaction zone111 at night to provide heat to the reaction zone 111. The inductiveheater 181 can be powered by a renewable clean energy source, forexample, hydrogen produced by the reactor vessel 110 during the day, orfalling water, geothermal energy, wind energy, or other suitablesources.

In any of the foregoing embodiments, the system 100 can further includea controller 190 that receives input signals 191 and directs theoperation of the devices making up the system 100 via control signals orother outputs 192. For example, the controller 190 can receive a signalfrom a radiation sensor 193 indicating when the incident solar radiationis insufficient to sustain the reaction at the reaction zone 111. Inresponse, the controller 190 can issue a command to activate thesupplemental heat source 180. The controller 190 can also direct thereactant delivery and product removal systems, described further belowwith reference to FIGS. 3-6.

FIG. 2 is a partially schematic illustration of an embodiment of thereactor vessel 110 shown in FIG. 1, illustrating a transmissivecomponent 112 positioned to allow the incident solar energy 103 to enterthe reaction zone 111. In a particular embodiment, the transmissivecomponent 112 can include a glass or other suitably transparent, hightemperature material that is easily transmissible to solar radiation,and configured to withstand the high temperatures in the reaction zone111. For example, temperatures at the reaction zone 111 are in someembodiments expected to reach 4000° F., and can be higher for thereactants and/or products.

In other embodiments, the transmissive component 112 can include one ormore elements that absorb radiation at one wavelength and re-radiate itat another. For example, the transmissive component 112 can include afirst surface 113 a that receives incident solar energy at onewavelength and a second surface 113 b that re-radiates the energy atanother wavelength into the reaction zone 111. In this manner, theenergy provided to the reaction zone 111 can be specifically tailored tomatch or approximate the absorption characteristics of the reactantsand/or products placed within the reaction zone 111, Further details ofrepresentative re-radiation devices are described in co-pending U.S.Application No. 13/027,015 titled, “CHEMICAL REACTORS WITH RE-RADIATINGSURFACES AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS” filed concurrently herewithand incorporated herein by reference.

In other embodiments, the reactor vessel 110 can include otherstructures that perform related functions, For example, the reactorvessel 110 can include a Venetian blind arrangement 114 having first andsecond surfaces 113 a, 113 b that can be pivoted to present one surfaceor the other depending upon external conditions, e.g., the level ofincident solar energy 103, hi a particular aspect of this embodiment,the first surface 113 a can have a relatively high absorptivity and arelatively low emissivity, This surface can accordingly readily absorbradiation during the day. The second surface 113 b can have a relativelylow absorptivity and a relatively high emissivity and can accordinglyoperate to cool the reaction zone 111 (or another component of thereactor 110), e.g., at night. A representative application of thisarrangement is a reactor that conducts both endothermic and exothermicreactions, as is described further in co-pending U.S. Application No.13/027,060 titled “REACTOR VESSELS WITH PRESSURE AND HEAT TRANSFERFEATURES FOR PRODUCING HYDROGEN-BASED FUELS AND STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS, ANDASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS”. Further details of other arrangementsfor operating the solar collector 101 (FIG. 1) in a cooling mode aredescribed in co-pending U.S. Application No. 13/027,181 titled “REACTORSFOR CONDUCTING THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES WITH SOLAR HEAT INPUT, ANDASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS”, filed concurrently herewith andincorporated herein by reference.

In still further embodiments, the reactor 110 can include features thatredirect radiation that “spills” (e.g., is not precisely focused on thetransmissive component 112) due to collector surface aberrations,environmental defects, non-parallel radiation, wind and/or otherdisturbances or distortions. These features can include additionalVenetian blinds 114 a that can be positioned and/or adjusted to redirectradiation (with or without wavelength shifting) into the reaction zone111.

FIG. 3 is a partially schematic, cross-sectional illustration of aportion of a reactor vessel 110 configured in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure. In one aspect of this embodiment,the reactor 110 includes a reactant delivery system 130 that ispositioned within a generally cylindrical, barrel-shaped reactor vessel110, and a product removal system 140 positioned annularly inwardly fromthe reactant delivery system 130. For example, the reactant deliverysystem 130 can include an outer screw 131, which in turn includes anouter screw shaft 132 and outwardly extending outer screw threads 133.The outer screw 131 has an axially extending first axial opening 135 inwhich the product removal system 140 is positioned. The outer screw 131rotates about a central rotation axis 115, as indicated by arrow O. Asit does so, it carries at least one reactant 134 (e.g., a gaseous,liquid, and/or solid reactant) upwardly and to the right as shown inFIG. 3, toward the reaction zone 111. As the reactant 134 is carriedwithin the outer screw threads 133, it is also compacted, potentiallyreleasing gases and/or liquids, which can escape through louvers and/orother openings 118 located annularly outwardly from the outer screw 131.As the reactant 134 becomes compacted in the outer screw threads 133, itforms a seal against an inner wall 119 of the vessel 110. Thisarrangement can prevent losing the reactant 134, and can instead forcethe reactant 134 to move toward the reaction zone 111. The reactantdelivery system 130 can include other features, in addition to the outerscrew threads 133, to force the reactant 134 toward the reaction zone111. For example, the inner wall 119 of the reactor vessel 110 caninclude one or more spiral rifle grooves 116 that tend to force thereactant 134 axially as the outer screw 131 rotates. In addition to, orin lieu of this feature, the entire outer screw 131 can reciprocate backand forth, as indicated by arrow R to prevent the reactant 134 fromsticking to the inner wall 119, and/or to release reactant 134 that maystick to the inner wall 119. A barrel heater 117 placed near the innerwall 119 can also reduce reactant sticking, in addition to or in lieu ofthe foregoing features. In a least some embodiments, it is expected thatthe reactant 134 will be less likely to stick when warn

The reactant 134 can include a variety of suitable compositions, e.g.,compositions that provide a hydrogen donor to the reaction zone 111. Inrepresentative embodiments, the reactant 134 can include biomassconstituents, e.g., municipal solid waste, commercial waste, forestproduct waste or slash, cellulose, lignocellulose, hydrocarbon waste(e.g., tires), and/or others. After being compacted, these wasteproducts can be highly subdivided, meaning that they can readily absorbincident radiation due to rough surface features and/or surface featuresthat re-reflect and ultimately absorb incident radiation. This propertycan further improve the efficiency with which the reactant 134 heats upin the reaction zone 111.

Once the reactant 134 has been delivered to the reaction zone 111, itreceives heat from the incident solar energy 103 or another source, andundergoes an endothermic reaction. The reaction zone 111 can have anannular shape and can include insulation 120 to prevent heat fromescaping from the vessel 110. In one embodiment, the endothermicreaction taking place at the reaction zone 111 includes dissociatingmethane, and reforming the carbon and hydrogen constituents intoelemental carbon and diatomic hydrogen, or other carbon compounds (e.g.,oxygenated carbon in the form of carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide) andhydrogen compounds. The resulting product 146 can include gaseousportions (indicated by arrow G), which passed annularly inwardly fromthe reaction zone 111 to be collected by the product removal system 140,Solid portions 144 (e.g., ash and/or other byproducts) of the product146 are also collected by the product removal system 140.

The product removal system 140 can include an inner screw 141 positionedin the first axial opening 135 within the outer screw 131. The innerscrew 141 can include an inner screw shaft 142 and inner screw threads143. The inner screw 141 can also rotate about the rotation axis 115, asindicated by arrow I, in the same direction as the outer screw 131 or inthe opposite direction. The inner screw 141 includes a second axialpassage 145 having openings that allow the gaseous product G to enter.The gaseous product G travels down the second axial opening 145 to becollected and, in at least some instances, further processed (e.g., toisolate the carbon produced in the reaction from the hydrogen producedin the reaction). In particular embodiments, the gaseous product C canexchange additional heat with the incoming reactant 134 via anadditional heat exchanger (not shown in FIG. 3) to cool the product Cand heat the reactant 134. hi other embodiments, the gaseous product Ccan be cooled by driving a Stirling engine or other device to generatemechanical and/or electric power. As the inner screw 141 rotates, itcarries the solid portions 144 of the product 146 downwardly and to theleft as shown in FIG. 3. The sold products 144 (and the gaseous productC) can convey heat via conduction to the outer screw 130 to heat theincoming reactant 134, after which the sold portions 144 can be removedfor use. For example, nitrogenous and/or sulfurous products from thereaction performed at the reaction zone 111 can be used in agriculturalor industrial processes. The products and therefore the chemical andphysical composition of the sold portions can depend on thecharacteristics of the incoming reactants, which can vary widely, e.g.,from municipal sold waste to industrial waste to biomass.

As discussed above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the system 100 caninclude features that direct energy (e.g., heat) into the reaction zone111 even when the available solar energy is insufficient to sustain thereaction, in an embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the supplemental heat source180 can include combustion reactants 182 (e.g., an oxidizer and/or ahydrogen-containing combustible material) that is directed through adelivery tube 184 positioned in the second axial opening 145 to acombustor or combustor zone 183 that is in thermal communication withthe reaction zone 111. During the night or other periods of time whenthe incident solar energy is low, the supplemental heat source 180 canprovide additional heat to the reaction zone 111 to sustain theendothermic reaction taking place therein.

One feature of an embodiment described above with reference to FIG. 3 isthat the incoming reactant 134 can be in close or intimate thermalcommunication with the solid product 144 leaving the reaction zone. Inparticular, the outer screw shaft 132 and outer screw threads 133 can beformed from a highly thermally conductive material, so as to receiveheat from the solid product 144 carried by the inner screw 141, anddeliver the heat to the incoming reactant 134. An advantage of thisarrangement is that it is thermally efficient because it removes heatfrom products that would otherwise be cooled in a manner that wastes theheat, and at the same time heats the incoming reactants 134, thusreducing the amount of heat that must be produced by the solarconcentrator 101 (FIG. 1) and/or the supplemental heat source 180. Byimproving the efficiency with which hydrogen and/or carbon or otherbuilding blocks are produced in the reactor vessel 110, the reactorsystem 100 can increase the commercial viability of the renewablereactants and energy sources used to produce the products.

FIG. 4 is a partially schematic, cross-sectional illustration of anembodiment of the reactor vessel 110 having an outer screw 431particularly configured to compact the reactant 134 that it carries. Inthis embodiment, the outer screw 431 includes a screw shaft 432 thattapers outwardly, thus reducing the radial width W of the screw threads433 in an axial direction toward the reaction zone 111. This arrangementeffectively reduces the volume between neighboring screw threads 433 ina direction toward the reaction zone 111, thus compacting the reactant134. Over at least one portion of its length, the outer screw 431 caneffectively remove air and moisture from the reactant 134, allowing theair and moisture to be withdrawn through the openings/louvers 118. Theseconstituents might otherwise slow the rate of reaction at the reactionzone 111. As the reactant 134 is further compacted, it also sealsagainst the inner wall 119 of the reactor vessel 110 to prevent liquidsand gases from escaping when they might otherwise participate in thereaction at the reaction zone 111. The heat produced when compacting thereactant 134 can reduce the amount of energy required to be produced bythe solar concentrator 101 (FIG. 1) or other energy source.

In other embodiments, other mechanisms and devices can be used tocompact the reactant 134 as it is directed to the reaction zone 111. Forexample, FIG. 5 illustrates a reactor vessel 110 having an outer screw531 with a shaft 532 carrying screw threads 533 that have a closer orsmaller axial spacing (indicated by gap S) the closer the threads 533are to the reaction zone 111. Accordingly, the pitch of the screwthreads 533 can gradually decrease in an axial direction along therotation axis 115. In any of the foregoing embodiments, the volumebetween neighboring threads is smaller proximate to the reaction zone111 than it is distal from the reaction zone 111.

In the embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 3-5, thereactant 134 is delivered and compacted by a spiral screw. In otherembodiments, the reactant 134 can be delivered and compacted via othermechanisms, for example, a piston. FIG. 6 is a partially schematic,cross-sectional illustration of the reactor vessel 110 in which thereactant 134 is loaded on or ahead of a ring-shaped piston 150 thatmoves back and forth as indicated by arrow R within the reactor vessel110. After the loading operation, the piston 150 drives toward thereaction zone 111, thus compacting the reactant 134 against an inwardlytapering vessel inner wall 119, which forms a tapered channel 121.

In one mode of operation, the piston 150 drives the reactant 134 againstthe tapered vessel inner wall 119, and then is withdrawn to allow morereactant to be placed in the reactor vessel 110. The additional reactant134 is then driven against the reactant 134 already present between thevessel inner walls 119, thus forcing the reactant 134 entirely throughthe tapered channel 121 and into the reaction zone 111. This process canbe repeated to deliver the reactant 134 to the reaction zone 111 in aseries of pulses or steps.

In another mode of operation, the piston 150 can be formed from amaterial that collapses or compresses in a radial direction R1, thusallowing the piston 150 to drive entirely through the tapered channel121 to deliver the entire amount of reactant 134 within the taperedchannel 121 in one stroke. In other embodiments, the reactor 110 caninclude other arrangements for compacting the incoming reactant 134,while allowing the hot, exiting product to preheat the reactant 134 andthus reduce the amount of thermal energy that must be provided at thereaction zone 111 via solar or other sources to sustain an endothermicreaction.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments ofthe technology have been described herein for purposes of illustration,but that various modifications may be made without deviating from thetechnology. For example, reactions at the reaction zone 111 can beconducted on reactants other then methane. Such reactants can includeother hydrocarbons, or other hydrogen donors that do not include carbon.Such hydrogen donors can include nitrogenous donors, and/or donors thatinclude boron, silicon, or sulfur. Nitrogenous donors can includebiomass constituents and/or other constituents. The solar collector canhave a dish shaped arrangement, as shown in FIG. 1, or otherarrangements (e.g., a trough shape or a heliostat arrangement) in otherembodiments. Embodiments of the supplemental heat source described abovewere described in the context of an inductive heater and a combustor. Inother embodiments, the supplemental heat source can include otherdevices that provide energy to the reaction zone 111 Reactors inaccordance with still further embodiments do not receive heat from solarenergy and accordingly can rely on what (in some embodiments describedabove) is considered a supplemental heat source, as a primary heatsource.

Certain aspects of the technology described in the context of particularembodiments may be combined or eliminated in other embodiments. Forexample, the outer screw can include both a tapered screw shaft andvarying spacing between adjacent threads to compact the reactant 134. Inparticular embodiments, the outer screw carries the reactant and theinner screw carries the solid products. In other embodiments, the rolesof the inner and outer screws can be reversed. The arrangement describedabove with reference to FIG. 6 identified a piston positioned annularlyoutwardly from an inner threaded shaft. In other embodiments, anadditional piston can replace the inner threaded shaft, or an innerpiston can be used in conjunction with an outer threaded shaft. Further,while advantages associated with certain embodiments of the technologyhave been described in the context of those embodiments, otherembodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodimentsneed necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of thepresent disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure and associatedtechnology can encompass other embodiments not expressly shown ordescribed herein.

To the extent not previously incorporated herein by reference, thepresent application incorporates by reference in their entirety thesubject matter of each of the following materials: U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/857,553, filed on Aug. 16, 2010 and titledSUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH INTEGRATED PRODUCTION OFRENEWABLE ENERGY, MATERIALS RESOURCES, AND NUTRIENT REGIMES; U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/857,553, filed on Aug. 16, 2010 and titledSYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGHINTEGRATED FULL SPECTRUM PRODUCTION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY; U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/857,554, filed on Aug. 16, 2010 and titledSYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGHINTEGRATED FULL SPECTRUM PRODUCTION OF RENEWABLE MATERIAL RESOURCESUSING SOLAR THERMAL; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/857,502, filedon Aug. 16, 2010 and titled ENERGY SYSTEM FOR DWELLING SUPPORT; filed onFeb. 14, 2011 and titled DELIVERY SYSTEMS WITH IN-LINE SELECTIVEEXTRACTION DEVICES AND ASSOCIATED METHODS OF OPERATION; U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 61/401,699, filed on Aug. 16, 2010 and titledCOMPREHENSIVE COST MODELING OF AUTOGENOUS SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES FOR THEPRODUCTION OF ENERGY, MATERIAL RESOURCES AND NUTRIENT REGIMES; filed onFeb. 14, 2011 and titled CHEMICAL PROCESSES AND REACTORS FOR EFFICIENTLYPRODUCING HYDROGEN FUELS AND STRUCTURAL MATERIALS, AND ASSOCIATEDSYSTEMS AND METHODS; filed on Feb. 14, 2011 and titled REACTOR VESSELSWITH TRANSMISSIVE SURFACES FOR PRODUCING HYDROGEN-BASED FUELS ANDSTRUCTURAL ELEMENTS, AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS; filed on Feb.14, 2011 and titled CHEMICAL REACTORS WITH RE-RADIATING SURFACES ANDASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS; filed on Feb. 14, 2011 and titledTHERMAL TRANSFER DEVICE AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS; filed onFeb. 14, 2011 and titled REACTORS FOR CONDUCTING THERMOCHEMICALPROCESSES WITH SOLAR HEAT INPUT, AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS;filed on Feb. 14, 2011 and titled INDUCTION FOR THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESS,AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS; filed on Feb. 14, 2011 and titledCOUPLED THERMOCHEMICAL REACTORS AND ENGINES, AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS ANDMETHODS; U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/385,508, filed on Sep. 22,2010 and titled REDUCING AND HARVESTING DRAG ENERGY ON MOBILE ENGINESUSING THERMAL CHEMICAL REGENERATION; filed on Feb. 14, 2011 and titledREACTOR VESSELS WITH PRESSURE AND HEAT TRANSFER FEATURES FOR PRODUCINGHYDROGEN-BASED FUELS AND STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS, AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS ANDMETHODS; filed on Feb. 14, 2011 and titled ARCHITECTURAL CONSTRUCTHAVING FOR EXAMPLE A PLURALITY OF ARCHITECTURAL CRYSTALS; U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/806,634, filed on Aug. 16, 2010 and titledMETHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR DETECTION OF PROPERTIES OF FLUID CONVEYANCESYSTEMS; filed on Feb. 14, 2011 and titled METHODS, DEVICES, AND SYSTEMSFOR DETECTING PROPERTIES OF TARGET SAMPLES; filed on Feb. 14, 2011 andtitled SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING BIOMASS INTO HYDROCARBONS, ALCOHOL VAPORS,HYDROGEN, CARBON, ETC.; filed on Feb. 14, 2011 and titled CARBONRECYCLING AND REINVESTMENT USING THERMOCHEMICAL REGENERATION; filed onFeb. 14, 2011 and titled OXYGENATED FUEL; U.S. Patent Application Ser.No. 61/237419, filed on Aug. 27, 2009 and titled CARBON SEQUESTRATION;U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/237425, filed on Aug. 27, 2009 andtitled OXYGENATED FUEL PRODUCTION; filed on Feb. 14, 2011 and titledMULTI-PURPOSE RENEWABLE FUEL FOR ISOLATING CONTAMINANTS AND STORINGENERGY; U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/421,189, filed on Dec. 8,2010 and titled LIQUID FUELS FROM HYDROGEN, OXIDES OF CARBON, AND/ORNITROGEN; AND PRODUCTION OF CARBON FOR MANUFACTURING DURABLE GOODS;filed on Feb. 14, 2011 and titled ENGINEERED FUEL STORAGE, RESPECIATIONAND TRANSPORT;

I claim:
 1. A method for performing a chemical reaction, comprising:concentrating solar radiation; directing the concentrated solarradiation through a light-transmissive surface of a reaction vessel andto a reaction zone within the reaction vessel; actuating a reactantdelivery system to direct a reactant to the reaction zone; performing anendothermic reaction at the reaction zone to produce a product; andactuating a product removal system positioned annularly inwardly oroutwardly from the reactant delivery system to remove a product from thereaction zone while transferring heat from the product radiallyoutwardly or inwardly to a reactant volume carried by the reactantdelivery system.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising compactingthe reactant as the reactant approaches the reaction zone.
 3. The methodof claim 1 wherein the reactant includes at least one solid reactant. 4.The method of claim 1 wherein the reactant includes at least one gaseousreactant.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the reactant includes abiomass reactant, and wherein compacting the reactant includes removingwater and air from the reactant.
 6. A method for performing a chemicalreaction, comprising: concentrating solar radiation during daylighthours; directing the concentrated solar radiation through alight-transmissive surface of a reaction vessel and to a reaction zonewithin the reaction vessel; rotating a first helical screw to direct ahydrocarbon reactant to the reaction zone; performing an endothermicreaction at the reaction zone to dissociate the hydrocarbon into agaseous hydrogen-containing constituent and a gaseous carbon-containingconstituent and the gaseous carbon-containing constituent from thereaction zone; rotating a second helical screw located within an axialaperture of the first helical screw to remove the solid product from thereaction zone; after daylight hours, directing oxygen to the reactionzone via a gas conduit located within an axial aperture of the firsthelical screw to support a combustion process; and directing heat fromthe combustion process to the reaction zone.
 7. The method of claim 6,further comprising transferring heat from the source products to anincoming hydrocarbon reactant as at least one of the first and secondhelical screws rotates relative to the other.
 8. The method of claim 1wherein directing a reactant includes directing a hydrocarbon reactant.9. The method of claim 1 wherein directing a reactant includes directinga nitrogen-bearing reactant.
 10. The method of claim 1 wherein directinga reactant includes directing a biomass reactant.
 11. The method ofclaim 1 wherein removing a product includes removing a hydrogen-bearingproduct.
 12. The method of claim 1 wherein conducting a reactionincludes conducting a dissociation reaction.
 13. The method of claim 1,further comprising supplementing the concentrated solar radiation withheat from a supplemental heat source.
 14. The method of claim 13,further comprising sliding the supplemental heat source over thereaction zone.
 15. The method of claim 13 wherein the supplemental heatsource includes an inductive heat source.
 16. The method of claim 1wherein the product removal system is positioned annularly inwardly fromthe reactant delivery system.
 17. The method of claim 1 whereinactuating the product removal system includes rotatating a screw havingan outwardly-extending helical thread positioned to convey the productsfrom the reaction zone.
 18. The method of claim 1 wherein actuating thereactant delivery system includes rotatating a screw having anoutwardly-extending helical thread positioned to convey the reactants tothe reaction zone.
 19. The method of claim 18 wherein transferring theheat from the product includes transferring the heat through the screwvia conduction.
 20. The method of claim 18 wherein a volume betweenneighboring threads of the screw decreases in a direction toward thereaction zone, and wherein actuating the reactant delivery systemincludes compacting the reactants as the screw rotates.